discard

verb dis·card \ dis-ˈkärd , ˈdis-ˌ \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: discard in a Sentence

Definition of discard

transitive verb

1 : to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted

a pile of discarded tires

They quickly discarded the idea.

2 a : to remove (a playing card) from one's hand (see ¹hand 9a(2))

discarded an ace

b : to play (any card except a trump) from a suit different from the one led

intransitive verb

: to discard a playing card

discard at the end of your turn

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discardable

play \-də-bəl\ adjective

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discarder

noun

See discard defined for English-language learners

See discard defined for kids

Examples of discard in a Sentence

Remove and discard the stems.
a pile of discarded tires
She discarded the six of hearts.

Recent Examples of discard from the Web

Aesthetic ideas drift in the air, used by one artist and then discarded, reabsorbed by another, according to ambition, means and opportunities.

— roberta smith, New York Times, "Japanese Gutai in the 1950s: Fast and Fearless," 14 June 2018
The actual video images are immediately discarded and can’t be recovered, so there is no possibility of using the data to track specific people.

— hiawatha bray, BostonGlobe.com, "Devices map people’s movements in Downtown Crossing to help businesses fine-tune offerings," 31 May 2018
The speculative execution is discarded and the correct calculation performed with the correct values.

— peter bright, Ars Technica, "New speculative-execution vulnerability strikes AMD, ARM, and Intel," 22 May 2018
However, Hamel said police think the kittens were assaulted at another location and then discarded, possibly from a moving vehicle.

— christina hall, Detroit Free Press, "3 kittens found bludgeoned on Hazel Park street; police seek tips," 21 May 2018
The research looks at different types of shopping bags through all of their life cycles: from the extraction of the raw material needed to make the bag to the way the bags are used and then discarded.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "Are cotton totes better for the Earth than plastic bags? It depends on what you care about," 12 May 2018
Let the drink steep for 4 to 5 minutes, then discard the tea bag.

— m. carrie allan, charlotteobserver, "It may not cure your cold, but the hot toddy sure can warm your heart | Charlotte Observer," 23 Jan. 2018
All of which the authors discuss in detail and then discard as a result of human error, not an inherent problem of nuclear engineering.

— nick licata, The Seattle Times, "Can nuclear energy save our environment? Authors make a case in ‘Seeing the Light’," 21 Jan. 2018
Her Fall collection consists of eight looks made from new and reused materials, a response to the overwhelming amount of clothing that is produced—and then discarded—every year.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Ice Dancing! Dad Fashion! Everything You Missed From Men’s Fashion Week Fall 2018, So Far," 10 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'discard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of discard

circa 1586

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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discard Synonyms

Phrases

dispose of, set aside;

Synonym Discussion of discard

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of. discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.